Papa John’s Founder John Schnatter Is Still Mad He Lost His Job For Using The N-Word

Papa John’s founder and former CEO John Schnatter has written an op-ed piece for the NY Post lamenting over the fact that his use of the N-word cost him his job. 

In his piece, Schnatter wrote about why he should have been given an n-word pass just like the one that was given to New York governor Andrew Cuomo after he dropped the word during a live radio interview earlier this month. 

“Ironically, Gov. Andrew Cuomo used a racial comment during a live radio interview last week, and African American state leaders rushed to defend him, showing their understanding of the intent and context of his words while also considering his character,” he wrote. 

Schnatter claimed his exit from the company (which he still owns over 16% of) has cost the brand severely and explained that: 

“In the meeting, I expressed frustration over the NFL controversy and paraphrased someone who had purportedly used the n-word on a frequent basis.”

Schnatter compared his situation to the Governor’s saying: “Cuomo’s situation is in stark contrast to the irrational overreaction and internal exploitation of my comments. The double standard is jarring. I would have hoped to have been given the benefit of the doubt, just as Cuomo was. Instead, unnamed sources reversed the meaning and intent of my words to damage me.”

Schnatter claimed that the decline of the company is directly caused by his exit and said he warned shareholders before he left. 

“I have a huge stake in Papa John’s, not just financially, but also with 35 years of my blood, sweat, and tears. In August 2018, I tried warning my fellow directors and put out a news release that the performance of the company was bound to get worse. My prediction has been proved right for four quarters since then and still today.” 

But now, Schnatter wants the shareholders and the public alike to remember who got Papa Johns to where it is now. 

“Leadership means taking responsibility for the command of your ship and not using scapegoats. This management team needs to step up and change course — immediately — to revive our iconic American brand. I should know since my team, and I built more than 5,000 stores from scratch and brought us through other down cycles.” 

He also warned he will be watching to see if the current leadership listens to his advice. 

“I’m watching carefully and hoping for good news — but a lot rides on the upcoming report for this company Nov. 5. At stake are the interests of thousands of people I consider my family, whose livelihoods depend entirely on the success of the current team to return our company to greatness.”